Army60 snub nose

I just read the article in Gun and Ammo about the snub nose cap and ball revolver and I saw that Cabella have 2 version aviable in thier catalog. Have anyone purchase one of the Army60 snub nose? How different is it to load this thing using palm rod? how this revolver shoot ? I am interest in how high or how low it shoot at 15 and 25 yard .Can someone tell me a bit more about the Mormon secret society and the deployment of this snub nose cap and ball revolver "the Avenger" who were this people? were they the good guy? why they formed secret society? what did they do? who was most likely to be shoot by them?

Can't tell you too much about this revolver. Due to rules of the forum, can't tell you too much about the "Avengers" except they were actually known as the "Danites" and they were NOT good guys. Look up Mountain Meadows Massacre on the net. If you wish to know more, PM me.

sandy4570

June 5, 2003, 02:12 PM

Sir Galahad thank for the information. Could you tell me a little bit about the rule of this forum regarding information on particular revolver? so that I will not break the rule myself .

Old Fuff

June 5, 2003, 04:34 PM

During the second half of the 19th century many people carried cap&ball or cap-to-cartridge revolvers with amputated barrels. Sometimes the front sight was restored, and sometimes not. If you have a Colt-pattern gun in mind you can modify an extra barrel and have it both ways. The best way for modern shooters to reload the cylinder is to remove it from the gun and use a bench tool that is available from Dixie Gun Works in Union City, TN. You can also reassemble the original loading lever assembly, load the cylinder, and then remove the lever prior to shooting the gun. They are fun too shoot, but you will get some unburnt powder out of the muzzle because of it short length. On the range be careful of a possible fire hazard.

sandy4570

June 5, 2003, 07:32 PM

Old Fuff Thank you for the information .Do I need to recrowned the muzzle of the cut off barrel of the Army 60 or it is doesn't matter much? How much the fire hazard we are talking here? and how can I prevent it (don't shoot the paper target point blank ?etc.)

Sir Galahad

June 5, 2003, 08:13 PM

Sandy, the forum rule isn't about revolvers, it's about religious duscussion in some contexts that some might think I'm "slamming" a certain religion if I go too far in discussing the Danites.

Old Fuff

June 5, 2003, 09:04 PM

First of all, Sir Galahad is correct concerning discussions about religion - but understand that while the Danites may or or may not have used cap & ball revolvers modified in this way they were not the only ones. The practice was fairly common across the frontier. Dallas Stroudenmire, El Paso's Marshal in 1880 had one for a backup. Wells-Fargo's Chief of Detectives J. Hume supposedly had a cut-down Colt 1860 Army.

It would be advisable to crown the barrel. If a local gunsmith doesn't want too do this you can get handtools for the job at: www.brownells.com -- in fact you can get almost any tool or gunsmith supply known to man from them.

The fire hazard isn't great, but in the dry Southwest we pay attention because in very short barrels all the power doesn't burn in the bore so they're is a possibility it could be burning when it hit the ground in the grass. I have shot black powder over snow and been suprised at the amount left on the ground in front of the bore. Don't worry, just be watchful.

sandy4570

June 6, 2003, 01:44 PM

thank you for the information and I shall refrain from religion and politic discussion issue .I contact the Brownell for some advice about the crowning tool because they have about half a page of those to choose from and I never do this kind of work before. As for the fire hazard -one of the local range burn down a few years ago and they never let anyone shoot black powder since the rebuilt ,the one I frequent is not so bad -solid wood bench and concrete floor but I will keep my eye out for the fire and I usually clean /sweep all the unburn powder so it will not accumulate into big pile and caught fire in the future. This project look like fun because I really like snubby firearms of all kind.

Old Fuff

June 6, 2003, 04:24 PM

Sandy:

I bought my tools from Brownells because I am always cutting down something, but you may find everything you need to be a bit expensive. While I still recommend you get the tools if you can afford them the following is an alternative.

What I am about to propose only works on round-barreled guns, such as a reproduction Colt 1860 Army.

1. Locate where you want to cut off the barrel and put a layer of
masking tape around it.

2. Take an ordinary pipe-cutter and score a line around the
barrel (the tape will protect the finish).

3. Using a hacksaw with a fine-toothed blade, cut off the barrel
just in front of the scored line.

4. Use a mill file (8” or 10”) to carefully file down to the scored
line. Be sure to keep everything flat and true.

5. Most good hardware stores sell ½” grinding balls mounted on
a shaft to fit in a hand grinder. Buy one, insert it into the
muzzle, and rotate it with your fingers (not in a power tool).
In a short time this will cut a crown. It only has to be deep
enough to "bevel” to the outside of the bore so don’t overdo it.

This is not the best way, but I have found it to be satisfactory.

sandy4570

June 7, 2003, 02:37 AM

Old Fuff thank you very much for the instruction -I print it out so I can keep it handy when I have all the stuff ready for this snub nose conversion .